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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28138230">if you can’t take the heat (get out of the sauna)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithra/pseuds/Arithra'>Arithra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Claude has your number Dimitri, Dimitri Week 2020, Dimitri is thirsty, Gen, M/M, POV Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Someone get that boy a drink, shout-out to Felix’s feet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:21:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28138230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithra/pseuds/Arithra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The men’s only sauna was a blessing, until it wasn’t.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Thirst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>if you can’t take the heat (get out of the sauna)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for DimitriWeek2020 in a collab with the amazing <a href="https://twitter.com/creslightning">crescentlightning</a>! Enjoy the thirst everyone!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The men’s only sauna was a blessing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri usually wasn’t fond of sweating, but since he had come to the academy, he had found that he did enjoy visiting the sauna once in a while. It allowed him to clear his head, and feel surprisingly refreshed and energized at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The one downside was the sportswear students were required to wear in the main sauna. Dimitri understood the reasons, of course, it would hardly be proper for the genders to mix while unclothed! However, it also meant that people tended to cut their sauna visits short. There was something terribly uncomfortable about wearing clothes in the humidity of the sauna. They clung and restricted his movement, so it really wasn’t helping when one was trying to relax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The men’s only sauna did not have that problem. Towels were more than enough here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, no matter which sauna it was, the thing that made relaxing in the sauna hard, was the idleness. Since Duscur Dimitri had become terrible at not doing anything, and no matter what Dedue told him, relaxing--no matter how prettily worded--didn’t really count as doing something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It helped to chat with people, but today, Dimitri really wasn’t in the mood to talk, he just wanted to rest for a bit and sort out his thoughts. So instead of talking to any of his classmates, he simply sat back and watched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ashe and Caspar were especially engaging. They did not bother to keep their voices down, as they talked about cats of all things--Dimitri was fairly sure Felix was listening to them as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ashe was gesturing enthusiastically, flushed both from the heat, as well as from excitement. It highlighted his freckles, and suddenly Dimitri could not help but think about what it would be like to trace them with his fingertips. From Ashe’s cheeks, along his necks, over his shoulder, and down his back--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of Caspar’s laughter startled him from what could only be a fantasy. For the first time since he had taken to visiting the sauna, Dimitri was glad for the way it affected him so easily. No one would be able to identify his embarrassed flush. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that it changed the presence of it, especially not when Ashe gave him a cheerful wave before he and Caspar left the sauna. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri fixed his gaze on the stove and tried not to think. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It worked for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then, after a while of simply sitting and half-listening to the quiet conversations around him and trying to ignore the terrible humidity--he knew it would pay off later--his peace of mind was broken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix (because of course it had to be Felix!) got up from his seat and moved towards the door. It also let him straight into Dimitri’s line of sight, he tried not to look at Felix--it would lead to trouble, especially when it was a Felix that was uncomfortable, which Felix surely was--and instead fixed his gaze on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a mistake, although there was no way Dimitri could have expected this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, he was faced with the sight of Felix’s elegant feet, and his toes flecking against the wooden flooring. It should not catch his attention the way it did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri breathed, and without his input, his gaze wandered higher. Traced the line of his legs. They were long and toned--Dimitri knew Felix was very flexible, he had seen him twist and turn and bend in the trainground. It was different to see Felix stretch with a groan when covered in sweat and his hair disheveled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stretch had another effect too, it almost made Felix’s towel fall, although his quick reflexes saved him. In fact, it didn’t even make Felix pause as he made his way to the door. The towel, however, hung lower than usual, and the sight of Felix’s back--smooth muscles, glistening with sweat--was consequently accompanied by the sight of far more of his ass than anyone was probably used to seeing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only the dip between his ass cheeks, but Dimitri’s eyes zeroed in on it all the same until he realized what he was doing and found himself frozen instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, Felix left without a backward glance, and Dimitri could breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should have stuck to the mixed-gender sauna. He really should have, and tragically each moment made it more and more obvious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next to leave was Sylvain who rose from his seat with a languid grace and stretched with a groan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To the showers,” he informed them cheerfully, “Evening boys, I have a hot date and need to be at my best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to Dimitri, and looking far more comfortable than any person of Faerghus ever could, Claude chuckled. “Have fun, Sylvain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri fought the urge to roll his eyes and make his disapproval clear. He really didn’t feel like he had a leg to stand on right then. Unfortunately, Sylvain seemed to take his silence for approval, and thew them a cheerful wink before turning around, his towel low on his hips and--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvain had back dimples. If Dimitri were to rest his hands at Sylvain’s hips, his finger would fit exactly--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri didn’t need to know that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A drop of sweat ran down Sylvain’s back. A glistering drop running along the length of his spine and then into his left back dimple. Sylvain opened the door, the light fell in, and the drop of sweat shone like a gemstone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sight left him spellbound until the cold air that had entered the room as Sylvain exited reached him. Dimitri’s stomach tightened, and he must have made a sound because something had definitely drawn Claude’s attention to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a sight wouldn’t you say, Your Princeliness?” Claude leaned towards him, “Hot… But is it hot enough?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri bit back a strangled sound, unfortunately drawing Ignatz's attention. The other student had been intently staring at the wall, his glasses gone, and using his finger to draw shapes onto his leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hotter?” Ignatz exclaimed, “Oh, we could add more steam if you want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even as he asked Ignatz was already reaching towards the stove across from them. The way he stretched his arm drew attention to the elegant line of his wrist. Ignatz’s fingers were long and graceful, with ink stains at the tip. Dimitri wanted to--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a groan, Dimitri sank back into his seat. The heat was getting to him, really. This wasn’t normal anymore. Had Sylvain infected him with something?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was torn from his rumination by a friendly pat on his (naked!) leg. Dimitri snapped his head so quickly to the side he felt it crack. Claude was giving him a commiserating look. He looked far too amused for Dimitri’s peace of mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A peace of mind that was further destroyed when he suddenly became aware of the way Claude's fingertips were gliding across his leg. They weren’t as smooth as Dimitri would have imagined, though that shouldn’t have surprised him given that Claude was an excellent archer. But even if he would have thought about it before, Dimitri could not have imagined the way it felt to have those thick calluses stroke across his skin, it was--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scrambling for something else to focus on, Dimitri forced himself to focus on Claude’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That too was a mistake. A sinking feeling appeared in Dimitri’s stomach as he met Claude’s laughing green eyes that were looking at him knowingly. For one short moment, Dimitri was sure that breaking eye contact seemed to be the best choice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A very short one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because as soon as Dimitri lowered his gaze, he found his gaze lingering on Claude’s lips, or, more specifically, the drop of sweat glinting above Claude’s upper lip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Dimitri watched, those lips curled. And the smirk could be called nothing but wicked. Dimitri swallowed, licked his own, suddenly dry, lips, and looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Green eyes squinted as Claude’s grin grew wider, it made him look even more mischievous. “Steamy, isn’t it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The way Claude’s lips curled around the first word could only be called obscene. Dimitri started feeling slightly dizzy. He had really been in the sauna for too long. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Best get out now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri scooted away from him, breaking the contact between them and making Claude’s hand fall onto the wooden bench. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Claude wasn’t deterred, instead, his grin got even wider, and he leaned forward, bracing himself onto his hand--his hand which he had placed exactly where Dimitri had been sitting previously--and leaned into Dimitri’s space. His eyes were twinkling, and Dimitri was absolutely certain that he would not be able to stand what would come out of the other house leader’s mouth next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could not allow Claude to speak again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I--” Dimitri lurched to his feet, almost tripping over himself in his haste, “I need to go dent my armor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A choked off laugh behind him, but Dimitri did not dare turn back. He crossed the room with quick strides. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only when his hand landed on the handle of the door the words he had said finally registered in his brain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The correction came out as a squeak, “Undent, Undent my armor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind him, Ignatz started chuckling too, but he sounded more confused than mocking, Claude’s voice, however, was warm honey, and thick with humor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Your Princeliness.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Internally cringing, Dimitri opened the door with so much force he almost ripped it off the hinges. Cold air slammed into him and made him almost lighthearted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, the door and its hinges survived, if it hadn’t, he would not have been able to slam the door shut behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he could. He did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whole building rattled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri leaned back against the wood, and through the door, he could hear the faint sound of Claude chuckling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wiping his hand down his sweaty face, Dimitri let out a shuddering breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At his hips, the towel preserving his modestly slipped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mixed sauna, Dimitri decided with no small amount of desperation as he scrambled to get a grip on his towel. He would stick to the mixed sauna from now on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was nothing better than uncomfortable clothes.</span>
</p>
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